Portable combined automatic phonograph and radio



April 19, 1938. A. HILL 2,114,741

PORTABLE COMBINED AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPH AND RADIO Fild April 15, 1955 'lNVE' NTOR I BY m a I ATTORN =r' Patented Apr. 19, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE COMBINED AUTOMATIC PHONOD- GRAPH AND RADIO Arthur mu, New York, N. Y. Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,418

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to sound reproducing apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus of a portable character, and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

Portable phonographs and portable radios have been known and used for many years, but to my knowledge these two devices have not been heretofore combined into a portable cabinet adapted to be carried from place to place so that either radio broadcast reception or any desired musical program from sound records could be obtained at the will of the operator. My invention embodies such combined apparatus.

According to my present invention, phonograph and radio instrumentalities are so combined in a portable cabinet that but a single elec-,

trical reproducing loud speaker means is required and said means is so disposed within the I cabinet that upon raising the lid thereof a side wall of the cabinet will automatically drop down to uncover the loud speaker. The cabinet lid when open also provides access to both the phonograph and the radio for operation thereof.

My present invention also contemplates embodying in a-portable cabinet an automatic phonograph, that is, one which is adapted to play in succession a plurality of records without manual attention and to transfer each record upon com.- pletion of the playing thereof from the turntable to a record receiving tray. Preferably the record receiving tray is permanently carried by the cabinet to which it is hingedly connected and is so constructed and mounted that when it is not functioning as a receiving tray it is adapted to serve in cooperation with the turntable of the instrument as a carrier for a plurality of sound records.

My invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description which follows when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which shows a preferred embodiment and wherein;v

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable combined automatic phonograph and-radio embodying my invention, the cabinet being shown in open position with the record receiving tray in operative relation.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the record receiving tray in its position as a carrier guard for a plurality of records.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in the preceding figures in closed position.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing wherein the same reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts the numeral Ill indicates a portable substantially rectangular cabinet comprising a body portion II and a lid l2 hingedly connected thereto by a piano hinge or the like I3. The body portion I I has one of its side walls I4 hingedly connected at its lower edge to the base of the cabinet so as to provide a wall which will, when not held in closing relation by holding means, drop down by the action of gravity to present an open side wall for the cabinet, the function for which will presently appear. The side wall I I at its upper edge is provided with an upstanding rib or flange I5 adapted to engage under a rabbeted edge It of the panel Ill of the lid when the latter is in closed position whereby said lid will hold the wall M in closed relation. The adjacent'side walls of the body portion of the cabinet are provided with corresponding ribs or flanges at their upper edges for cooperation with rabbeted grooves in the complemental panels of the lid. 20

Within the body portion I I of the cabinet there is provided an automatic phonograph mechanism of any approved design including a turntable I8 having a central pin i9 adapted to accommodate a plurality of records 20 in superposed relation, a tone arm 2i having a stylus 22 and automatic mechanism comprising a pivoted arm 23 adapted to successively remove each record from the turntable after it has been played. The specific construction of automatic phonograph does not constitute a part of the present invention but is of such type as comprises an electric motor and operative record discharge mechanism (not shown) which will remove each record in 'suo cession after being played by raising said record 35 over the top of the pin I9 and giving to it a motlon of translation which will discharge it over a side of the cabinet. Such automatic phonograph mechanism is shown and described in the patent to Mitchell et al. No. 1,936,335, November 21, 1933.

To receive a record 20 when discharged by the automatic mechanism I have provided a record receiving tray 24 which has a fiat bottom 25 of somewhat greater than semicircular form and an upstanding surrounding wall 26. The tray 24 is preferably permanently carried by the cabinet and as herein shown is hingedly connected to one side wall thereof by hinges 21 (only one of which is shown) so that when the tray is in record receiving position it extends laterally from the side wall to which it is connected slightly'below the turntable. The tray is of such dimensions with respect to both area and depth, as to adapt it to engage over the group of records 20 on the turn fining means for said records.

f substituted therefor.

table and extend down into encircling relation to the turntable to constitute a holding and con- If desired, means may be provided to latch the tray to the top wall 28 of the body portion of the cabinet or such means may be dispensed with if the depth of the tray is such as to be held in record confining position by the lid l2 of the cabinet when closed.

Within the body portion of the cabinet there is also provided a radio receiving set including an electromagnetic unit provided with a diaphragm (not shown) and electronic amplifying means (not shown) as is conventional. The radio receiving set may be of any preferred type and per se does not constitute a part of the invention. Suflice to say, the electromagnetic unit of the radio receiving set is mounted so as to direct the sound waves produced therein toward a wall 29 which extends substantially parallel to the side wall I4 when in closed position. The wall 29 is preferably provided with an opening 30 through which the sound waves may pass into the room and with knob controls 31 for controlling the operation of the radio receiving set. To

" permit the heat generated by the radio set to be dissipated into the room a portion of the top wall 28 may be cut away and a wire screen 32 In order that the advantageous qualities of the electronic amplifying means and electromagnetic unit of the radio may be utilized for reproducing sound from the phonograph the tone arm of the phonograph is connected up with the aforementioned means in any well known manner.

The apparatus in closed position will have the appearance of a travelling ease as shown in Fig. 3 and may be carried from place to place by a carrying handle 33.

For operation, as 'a radio or an automatic phonograph the lid I2 is first raised and the connecting plug 34 inserted into an electric outlet to furnish current for both the radio and the electric motor of the phonograph. If the device is to be used as an automatic phonograph the receiving tray is moved into the position shown in Fig. 1 by merely turning said tray about its hinges 21 and the phonograph operated in the usual manner. The radio niay be operated when the tray is in either the positions shown in Fig. 1 or 2. It will be understood, however, that when the device is used as a phonograph the reproduction of sound from the records will be conducted through the radio set.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic phonograph comprising a portable cabinet consisting of a box-like body portion and a lid portion hingedly connected to the body portion, said body portion having therein a turntable adapted to support a plurality of records in superposed relation, mechanism for playing a plurality of records in succession when mounted on said turntable and for laterally discharging each record from playing position after it has been played by giving to the record being discharged a motion of translation, a record receiving tray hingedly connected to the body portion of the cabinet and adapted in one position to extend laterally from the cabinet slightly below the turntable to receive the records upon their discharge from the turntable by the mechanism and in another position being adapted to extend in bottom-side up relation down over the turntable, said tray having means for limiting the motion of translation of the records upon their discharge from the turntable when the tray is in record receiving position, said limiting means encompassing the turntable when the tray is in bottom-side up relation over the turntable,

and the lid of the cabinet when closed engaging and holding said tray in its last mentioned position tb confine and hold a plurality of records on the turntable when the cabinet is being carried about.

2. A phonograph comprising a portable cabinet consisting of a box-like body portion and a lid portion hingedly connected to the body portion, said body portion having therein a turntable with a central pin adapted to support a plurality of records in superposed relation, a record receiving tray hingedly connected to the body portion of the cabinet and adapted in one position to extend laterally from the cabinet for supporting a plurality of records, and in another position being adapted to extend in bottom-side up relation down over the turntable, said tray'having means for closely encompassing the turntable when the tray is in bottom-side up relation thereover and the lid of the cabinet when. closed engaging and holding the tray in its last mentioned position to confine and hold a plurality of records on the turntable when the cabinet is being carried about.

' ARTHUR HILL. 

